New Volkswagen Beetle spy shots

These spy shots of the Volkswagen New Beetle show that in the new version of the new bug we’ll be getting something a lot sportier than previously. The New Beetle has a lowered and more sloping roof line and what looks like a wider and lower wheelbase. The wheel arches seem to take on a slightly more flared look as well. VW might not be able to replicate the original success of the Beetle revival but this is certainly what it needed to modernise it more.

When you think about it, the New Beetle is really more of a 90’s car and now that we’re nearly in 2011, a few tweaks were well overdue. This, especially considering the massive success of the Mini revival and the Fiat 500 following closely behind, the New Beetle needed to stay vintage cute but tap into its sports soul a bit more.

Rumours are that the New Beetle could be revealed at the Los Angeles show and while clearly what we’ve got is a near-ready car, it’s still in testing phase at the moment. If you wanted this for Christmas, you might have to wait. The 2012 Beetle will be based on the Golf VI platform and while it should include VW’s 2.5-litre petrol plant and the 2.0 TDI diesel, company sources say that something more powerful will also be available. To be precise, something you can take to the track….